Last Modified: Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 12:51 a.m.

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After Franklin's West Port football team made him a 17-6 winner over Dunnellon in his coaching debut, a group of Wolf Pack players attacked him from behind and doused him with a very icy cooler full.

"It was a little cold," Franklin said, "and I did forget to bring a change of clothes with me so it's going to be a long trip back to Ocala, but you know what? It's worth it. Completely."

The long-suffering Wolf Pack busted a six-game losing streak to Dunnellon with their victory and started Franklin's tenure off with a huge win over a heated rival.

Franklin, a fiery young former assistant at the high school and college level, reiterated what he said throughout the offseason since taking over a 1-9 team that has just one playoff appearance ever — that he isn't interested in the school's past failures against Dunnellon or any other team.

"Like I told them when I interviewed for the position and like I've told everybody I've spoken with, I don't care about the history of the school, I don't care about the tradition of the school. I'm 27-years-old and I want to build my own history."

West Port pitched a second-half shutout and scored the game-sealing touchdown early in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard strike from Ian Guthrie to Valentino Patton. That made it a two-possession game, and the host Tigers never put a dent in the margin.

Dunnellon, also playing its first game under a new coach, Price Harris, unveiled a no-huddle offense that moved the ball effectively early. Things could get exciting for Tiger fans this fall — quarterback Kobie Jones aired it out 16 times in the first half alone — but Dunnellon was unable to cash in on good early ball movement and managed just six first-half points despite four trips into the red zone.

Repeatedly, the Wolf Pack defense bent but didn't break. Franklin said that was the result of the intense offseason conditioning program his team endured.

"The effects of everything we've done since December, that's where it comes through," Franklin said. "Their backs were up against the wall. Teams with losing histories often times just fold it in and pack it in. Instead they bowed their back out, popped their chest out and started swinging back. They got off the ropes and I was very proud of that."

West Port's offense was more opportunistic than Dunnellon's and it paved the way for a halftime lead despite a 197-77 yardage deficit. The Wolf Pack had just one truly big offensive play before the half — Kam Duncan's electric 63-yard rush to Dunnellon's 3 — but made it count after a penalty when Ian Guthrie found a lane through traffic and into the end zone from 10 yards out for a 10-6 lead.

Dunnellon marched down to the West Port 1 in the closing seconds of the half, but was backtracked by a penalty before Zach West's last-second field goal attempt sailed wide right.

For the game, Dunnellon outgained West Port 350-186, but the Tigers were also flagged 16 times for 142 yards, compared to just seven penalties and 70 yards for the Wolf Pack.

Duncan rushed for a game-high 95 yards for West Port, while Guthrie showed tremendous poise in the pocket, throwing to seven different receivers for 67 yards and accounting for two total touchdowns.